Department of Health and Human Services HRSA

August 2, 2004 Contact: HRSA Press Office (301) 443-3376

HHS Awards More Than $19 Million to Expand Health Center Services, Strengthen America's Health Care Safety Net

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced more than $19 million in grants to help 66 of the nation's health centers expand capacity to serve 270,000 more rural and inner-city Americans, including many without health insurance.

Today's awards support President Bush's five-year initiative to expand the health center system. Launched in 2002, the initiative will add 1,200 new and expanded health center sites and increase the number of patients served annually from about 10.3 million in 2001 to 16 million by 2006. Since 2001, HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which oversees the Consolidated Health Center Program, has added about 500 new or expanded sites that provide health care services to 2.1 million additional people.

"We have greatly expanded health center services over the last two years through the President's initiative. As a result, millions of Americans now have access to vital services that help them live healthier lives," Secretary Thompson said. "These new awards build on our efforts to expand the health care safety net to more Americans who otherwise might not have access to health care."

Health centers deliver primary and preventive care to patients regardless of their ability to pay. Almost 40 percent of the 12.4 million patients treated at health centers in 2003 had no insurance coverage. Charges for health care services are set according to income, and fees are not collected from the poorest patients.

Under the Consolidated Health Center Program, HRSA funds a national network of more than 3,600 health center sites, which are supported by grants to community health centers, health care for the homeless centers, migrant health centers, school-based health centers and public housing primary care centers.

The list of today's expanded medical capacity grant recipients is available at www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040802.html.